Rubber heel.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. BERRY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNCR OF 'ELEVEN-TWELFTHS TO HENRY SUMMERS, OF SAME PLACE, AND

MARY ADAMS AND BENJAMIN P. MADDOX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RUBBER HEEL,

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,680, dated October 10, 1899.

Application filed April 4, 1899. Serial No. 711,640. v(No model.) i

12') all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco" and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Heels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rubber heels for attachment to boots, shoes, or similar articles; and it consists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction as will be hereinafter set forth in the drawings and described and pointed out in the specification. Heels of this character are ordinarily made in the rough or what is known as stock-heels, and have to be fitted to the boot or shoe. Inasmuch as the shoes or boots to be fitted varythat is, they do not each take the same size heel-it is required and necessary that the outer face or edge of the heel be trimmed to the proper size after the same has been socured to the sole of the boot or shoe. This fitting of heel requires considerable time and care, and inasmuch as rubber is a difficult material to trim the outer face or edge presents an uneven and broken surface after having been out down ortrimmed to the proper size.

The object of my invention is to so arrange the heel that its size or diameter may be reduced in order to properly fitthe same to the boot or shoe without producing a ragged, rough, or uneven outer surface and to provide for the proper trimming of the heel in less time than is at present required.

In order to comprehend the invention, rel? erence must be had to the accom pan ying sheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rubher heel .as'designed to be placed upon the market. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rubber heel. Fig. 3is a similar view of the heel after being drawn together to take up the loss :or space occasioned by the removal of the web,

and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the removed portion of the inner web.

.In carrying out my invention I first mold or otherwise form a rubber heel A of approximately the shape or size to be used. The upper central or what 1 term intermediate portion of the heel is made of considerable less thickness than the body thereof, in order to provide a thin connecting-web A, which unites with the body or outer tread portion A of the heel. This web, so to speak, radiates from a central opening a, and the upper portion or surface thereof is provided with a series of inclined grooves or channels a, which serve as gage-lines, through which to'cut in order to remove so mnch'of the web as will permit of the heel being compressed or broughttogether in order to properly fit or adjust the same to the diameter required by, the shoe or boot. Suppose, for instance, these grooves, channels, or gage-lines be formed one-sixteenth of an inch apart. Now if the heel is three-quarters of an inch wider than required for the shoe instead of trimming or cutting away so much of the rubber ofli' the face of the heel as is customary to reduce the same it is only necessary that the fitter of the heel remove so much of the web A as is embraced between twelve of the gagelines or from, say, numeral 2 to 3, Figs; 1 and 3 of the drawings, cutting away for this purpose from central opening a through the front wall of the web. A segment'strip or piece B of the webbing is thus removed, bearing a space or opening of such size in'theweb for contraction of the heel proper or bringing of the outer tread ortions together. The heel may then be quickly and easilybrought together, so as to give the proper width. When the heel has been compressed or brought together, the opening formed by removing portion of the web will be completely closed. This is clearly indicated by Fig. 2 of the drawings. As the gage-lines are struck from a common center the inclination given thereto is such as tomaintain proper shape of the heel when compressed .or brought together. gaged lined for the purposejof being wholly or partially removed,as necessity may require, to properly'lit theheel to the boot or shoe, said web may be termed a removable one. Preferably the heel is attached to the boot Inasmuch as the central web is 9 or shoe by means of cement, although nails are also made use of to assist in holding the heel in position. For this reason the heel is formed With the nail-opening Z) therethrough, the upper or outer ends of said openings being enlarged and countersunk, if desired, to receive the heads of the nails.

The central or removable Web answers to protect against dirt working beneath the heel proper. When the heel is upon the shoe, the central opening a is closed by inserting a screw or nail therein.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rubber heel, the combination with the outer tread portions of the Web connectt-ing' the same, and of the gage-lines cut in said Web.

gaged lined Web or central portion, the gagelines ofivhich radiate from a common point. In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses, this 28th day of March, 1899.

CHARLES M. BERRY. \Vitn esses:

N. A. ACKER, WALTER F. VANE. 

